Japanese Quail questions

[yamashta]

Howdy, I'm new here. I have quail but they're young and still indoors as my hutch isn't QUITE ready for them (I want to make alterations and want to make them before moving them into it, as it'd probably be stressful to get them used to being in it only to pluck them out for a time while I alter it.)

Please understand that I'm not completely uninformed. I also really appreciate/value actual straight forward answers. I've been having some issues getting these elsewhere so I'm trying here with my fingers crossed. I am a bit of a rambler so my questions may get confusing, just a warning. I'm anxious and over-prepare, and some times come off as grouchy/short when writing. Apologies.

QUESTION #1: What size grit for adults? Grit seems to range in sizes (by number) and I don't want to get something too small or too big. Yes, I am aware they do not need grit if they're on a premade, ground diet/crumbles. I want to provide for them a staple diet with some gamebird seed mix, greens, etc. for variation/enrichment, which means they will need grit. I need to know what size grit. A measurement would help, however I am a bit numerologically impaired so bear with me.

QUESTION #2: The hutch I have was not built by me, I inherited it already assembled. The floor is 1/4" grid wire. I am not fond of this and don't think it'll work with droppings passing through. I've seen people say that 1/2" grid wire is better, or 1/2"x1" grid wire, and some people say it needs to be pvc/vinyl coated to prevent issues. What say you about this? Would love input/feedback.

QUESTION #3: I am not DIY handy/savvy when it comes to anything involving cutting, measuring, etc. so a lot of what I am looking at is premade (which I am aware is more expensive). Do you have any premade suggestions for things such as low/no waste feeders, low/no mess watering systems, 'coop' lighting, etc? The hutch is about 6 feet tall and is open air wire for about 4 feet, then has an enclosed 1-2 foot 'coop' box that is enclosed. Would love some lighting suggestions that are relatively easy to install and safe (low/no risk of fire). This hutch has a thermostat with a timer, however I need to reattach a plug to it as I believe the cord was ran over by a lawn mower a long time ago (oops!)

QUESTION #4: What should I line the 'coop' box with? Should I make a pan for it to put substrate in so it's easier to clean? It's wood in the bottom. Another aspect of the design I'm not terribly fond of but I feel like I can work with it.

QUESTION #5: General husbandry suggestions/tips/etc would be lovely (including brooding information). I am doing this on my back patio, I live in a more suburb/borderline rural area in a city, so things that are relevant to that are great.

Disclosure: I do not drive. I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco. There is a very small family owned feed store not far from here that I could take a bus to, but what they have is somewhat limited. Additionally I lack a lot of tools, which is part of why I want premade.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Nabiki]

Howdy, I'm new here. I have quail but they're young and still indoors as my hutch isn't QUITE ready for them (I want to make alterations and want to make them before moving them into it, as it'd probably be stressful to get them used to being in it only to pluck them out for a time while I alter it.)

Please understand that I'm not completely uninformed. I also really appreciate/value actual straight forward answers. I've been having some issues getting these elsewhere so I'm trying here with my fingers crossed. I am a bit of a rambler so my questions may get confusing, just a warning. I'm anxious and over-prepare, and some times come off as grouchy/short when writing. Apologies.

QUESTION #1: What size grit for adults? Grit seems to range in sizes (by number) and I don't want to get something too small or too big. Yes, I am aware they do not need grit if they're on a premade, ground diet/crumbles. I want to provide for them a staple diet with some gamebird seed mix, greens, etc. for variation/enrichment, which means they will need grit. I need to know what size grit. A measurement would help, however I am a bit numerologically impaired so bear with me.

QUESTION #2: The hutch I have was not built by me, I inherited it already assembled. The floor is 1/4" grid wire. I am not fond of this and don't think it'll work with droppings passing through. I've seen people say that 1/2" grid wire is better, or 1/2"x1" grid wire, and some people say it needs to be pvc/vinyl coated to prevent issues. What say you about this? Would love input/feedback.

QUESTION #3: I am not DIY handy/savvy when it comes to anything involving cutting, measuring, etc. so a lot of what I am looking at is premade (which I am aware is more expensive). Do you have any premade suggestions for things such as low/no waste feeders, low/no mess watering systems, 'coop' lighting, etc? The hutch is about 6 feet tall and is open air wire for about 4 feet, then has an enclosed 1-2 foot 'coop' box that is enclosed. Would love some lighting suggestions that are relatively easy to install and safe (low/no risk of fire). This hutch has a thermostat with a timer, however I need to reattach a plug to it as I believe the cord was ran over by a lawn mower a long time ago (oops!)

QUESTION #4: What should I line the 'coop' box with? Should I make a pan for it to put substrate in so it's easier to clean? It's wood in the bottom. Another aspect of the design I'm not terribly fond of but I feel like I can work with it.

QUESTION #5: General husbandry suggestions/tips/etc would be lovely (including brooding information). I am doing this on my back patio, I live in a more suburb/borderline rural area in a city, so things that are relevant to that are great.

Disclosure: I do not drive. I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco. There is a very small family owned feed store not far from here that I could take a bus to, but what they have is somewhat limited. Additionally I lack a lot of tools, which is part of why I want premade.

Thanks in advance!

1. You want something about the size of the largest piece of crumble they'll eat. Sand is good for bathing, but not for grit.

2. I keep my quail on the ground, but from what I've heard, 1/2" hardware cloth is best and you want coated. If it's not coated, it is more likely to cause small wounds that can easily become infected and turn into bumblefoot.

3. I use standard chick feeders and extend the tube with cardboard to keep the feed section shallow enough that they can't easily bill it out. I also use cups for watering attached to 2 liter bottles, but I change their water daily. The water goes into my garden beds, so it's not being wasted. For light I use solar powered LEDs.

4. Again, I keep mind on the ground in fallow garden beds, so they're on dirt. I hoe the dirt and poop under as needed.

5. You can find a lot of good information here, including brooding and basic care information.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

 

[Nabiki]

Got a picture? I'd love to figure out a way to keep them from wasting so much food. This is the chick feeder I'm using for some of my birds:View attachment 3664159

That's the feeder I used, but I extend the jar with a toilet paper roll. I cut the tp roll in half, then split it. I then expand it until it fits snugly into the jar and extends about an inch and tape it in place. The keeps the level of food in the feeder lower, which reduces waste.

 

[scyllarus]

1. You want something about the size of the largest piece of crumble they'll eat. Sand is good for bathing, but not for grit.

2. I keep my quail on the ground, but from what I've heard, 1/2" hardware cloth is best and you want coated. If it's not coated, it is more likely to cause small wounds that can easily become infected and turn into bumblefoot.

3. I use standard chick feeders and extend the tube with cardboard to keep the feed section shallow enough that they can't easily bill it out. I also use cups for watering attached to 2 liter bottles, but I change their water daily. The water goes into my garden beds, so it's not being wasted. For light I use solar powered LEDs.

4. Again, I keep mind on the ground in fallow garden beds, so they're on dirt. I hoe the dirt and poop under as needed.

5. You can find a lot of good information here, including brooding and basic care information.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

Nabiki to the rescue!

 

[CliftonQuail]

I would suggest a trough feeder from Wynola ranch website. You can place wire mesh over it. I use 1'' x 1/2'' vinyl coated wire. But you can really do anything at that point to create a barrier. since it attaches to the front of the cage they have to stick their heads out far enough and when they eat and fling it side to side it just moves around the trough.
Pretty sure they do free shipping and a 2 pack is like 20 bucks. I am going off memory.

I have a wynola ranch cage. the 36x18 breeder one and the trough for it works great. out of all my feeders it wastes a lot less than most.

I have troughs on the Wynola Ranch cages and don't have too much trouble with them being wasteful. The chick feeders are in some taller cages that I'm currently using for overflow birds. I managed to setup one of the chick feeders with a toilet paper roll as @Nabiki suggested. I used some painter's tape to attach the paper roll to the jar. I can already tell a major improvement in keeping the feed in the feeder.

 

[CliftonQuail]

That's the feeder I used, but I extend the jar with a toilet paper roll. I cut the tp roll in half, then split it. I then expand it until it fits snugly into the jar and extends about an inch and tape it in place. The keeps the level of food in the feeder lower, which reduces waste.

Got it. I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[CliftonQuail]

After just a week using the toilet paper roll with the chick feeder, I can tell a great difference. I have 15 birds in a multilevel cage and have two chick feeders in it. Before, they were emptying both feeders in one day. Now it's taking them two days and they're not even completely emptying both feeders. Thanks @Nabiki for the suggestion. It's gonna save a ton of feed.

 

[yamashta]

Do your quails have access to a dustbath? Do they have a platform where their feet can recover from the metal wire? Are you providing any form of ‘enrichment’?

Since making the post I replaced the original wire floor of my outdoor setup with 1"x1/2" vinyl coated 16g wire. My indoor quail are on fluffed pine pellets which they 'dust bathe' in. I haven't been keeping many birds outside because I want to do more alterations /improve it but money has been tight. They have an enclosed area full of grass that they kind of wallow in sometimes I guess. I've been using the hutch more as a bachelor pad for rude roosters than anything though

 

[scyllarus]

I'm also new to quail (got my first ones a couple of months ago), so I would personally go with the advice from someone more experienced - but here's some stuff from my experience:

1. Gonna be honest, I don't know. I give mine play sand to dust bathe in and they seem to eat bits out of it - I've seen others mention construction sand is better since play sand can clump and possibly impact their crops. I'll likely switch in the future, but for now there's been no issues.

2. We made our own coop and the bottom is actually an old bird cage, so it's 1/4 inch coated bars. I suspect you won't have too many issues as long as they have places to rest their feet? We use some scrap wood for ours - it does get covered in poop.

3. There's tons of plans for low-waste feeders. I think the simplest would be to use a hole saw to cut some 1 inch holes into a plastic container to keep them from throwing food/scratching it out.

Watering systems...I bought some chicken watering cups off Amazon and drilled a hole into a plastic jug. I made a couple of these and they work well, you just need to make sure the cup is high enough off the ground to not get pushed upwards (which causes the cup to fill/spill). I've also used small animal bottles, the kind with the metal ball? It took them a little longer but they figured it out. You can also definitely order this off Amazon.

We're in Florida. I didn't bother with lights.

4. I'd put an aluminum pan with hay or sand in there. They love dustbathing, so it can do double duty to keep the coop floor clean + allowing them to have enrichment.

5. Tips...Definitely set up a low-waste waterer and feeder. They love sand-bathing and you can clean the sand with a mesh strainer, plus it gives them access to grit. My hens always lay their eggs in the sand, too, so it helps me locate them. Make sure you have another container in case of sick birds, naughty roos, or whatever else - it's been really helpful for me to have one as a bachelor bin, especially since mine have taken a long time to hit puberty + I have a lot of non-feather-sexable colors. It allows me to observe how aggressive a roo is + if it *is* a roo, so I don't accidentally cull hens. I would recommend a good sharp set of poultry shears - I'm always very anxious about cutting myself when culling birds, and it just makes it easier. You can order a set off Amazon, too.

Links to what I've been using:
Cocoyeye 6 Pack Chicken Waterer Cups, DIY Chicken Water Feeder, 3/8 Inch Automatic Filling Water Poultry Drinking Bowl Split Type for Ducks, Turkeys,Goose，Birds (6) https://a.co/d/aa6rd9h

Lixit Pet Wide Mouth Water Bottle (16 oz), translucent, 8802 https://a.co/d/7ZgskTk

GAIFONGRE Heavy duty kitchen scissors 2-pack,High Stainless Steel sharp blade,Dishwasher safe meat scissors Cooking shear for Chicken Fish Meat Color RED https://a.co/d/9VmSHc7

Whew, that was a long response. Welcome to the forum!

 

[MrJudeRaw]

I really, really value utilizing online sources for products. Additionally, there are no nearby TSC, Coastal, or Wilco.

all of these stores ship to consumers iirc